Thinking
of making your own lube? Here are descriptions of many common
ingredients including their uses and sources. With the following
ingredients you can make virtually an unlimited number and variety
of bullet lube recipes, but before you get started here is an
excellent article on what it is you need your lube to accomplish . .
.

Lubricating
Cast Bullets By: Glen E. Fryxell

OK,
I’m going to ask a stupid question. What does bullet
lube do?

I’ll bet
most of you answered that bullet lube lubricates the
passage of the bullet down a rifled bore, to eliminate
galling of a soft metal as it traverses a hard metal
cutting edge. Well, yeah, I suppose that’s true enough,
but that’s not all it does, nor is it necessarily even
the most important job that it does. Let’s assume for
the moment that lubrication is the sum total of its job
-- is the lube on a given bullet lubricating the passage
of the bullet that carries it, or the bullet that
follows after it? Another way that I’ve had this
question posed to me was, should the lube groove (s) be
on the front of the bullet (where they could lube the
passage of that bullet), or towards the rear of the
bullet (where they could leave a healthy lube film for
the next bullet in line)?

Part of the problem with this
line of reasoning is that it assumes that the lube is
delivered to the bore by simple bullet/barrel contact
and smearing, and hence the lube can only lube that
which is behind the reservoir (lube groove). Looking at
things in this manner results in a fairly simplistic,
almost static picture (hard surface, soft surface,
slippery stuff in between), and the firing of a revolver
shot is a very dynamic process. What else does
bullet lube do? Or perhaps more accurately, what else is
done to the bullet lube?

Let’s just set the record
straight, lube is not simply smeared from the lube
grooves onto the bore, nor is lubrication the sole
function of bullet lube.

There were a couple of excellent
articles published a few years back in The Cast Bullet
on lube pumping mechanisms. In a nutshell, the
conclusions were that bullet lube was pumped to the bore
surface by 3 different mechanisms -- compression, linear
acceleration and radial acceleration. In compression,
the force applied to the base of the bullet causes the
compression of the bullet’s core underneath the lube
groove, resulting in expansion of the core diameter and
shrinkage of the lube groove width. Both of these
factors results in the reduction of the volume of the
lube groove itself, and hence compress the lube and
force it to the bullet/barrel interface. There is solid
physical evidence supporting this mechanism (especially
in rifles). The linear acceleration mechanism is pretty
straightforward -- the inertia of the lube at rest
causes it to be forced towards the rear of the lube
groove as the bullet is accelerated forward by the
burning powder. When the lube encounters the beveled (or
radiused) rear face of the lube groove, it is once again
forced to the barrel surface. In the third lube pumping
mechanism, radial acceleration, as the bullet begins to
spin faster and faster as it progresses down the barrel,
at some point sufficient radial acceleration (think
"centrifugal force") is generated to overcome the
viscosity of the lube and it gets flung off of the lube
groove surface and outward onto the barrel. All three of
these mechanisms come into play when any cast bullet is
fired, although the magnitude of each will vary
significantly with the application (e.g. .38 target
wadcutter vs. .30-06 or .45-70 hunting load), and will
be dependant on velocity, pressure, alloy hardness,
bullet diameter, etc. Indeed, the magnitude of each will
vary for any given shot, depending on where the bullet
is in the barrel -- linear acceleration will be dominant
early in the shot, compression will take over as
pressure peaks and radial acceleration will become more
significant as the velocity increases.

Delineation of these mechanisms
provides a significant level of understanding in terms
of cast bullet shooting and design, as well as bullet
lube formulation. However, these mechanisms still have
the bullet serving as nothing more than a brute-force
paintbrush, slapping on a fresh coat of grease of the
bore for the next bullet in line. This is all well and
good, but it is an incomplete description of the
process. I believe that there is another mechanism
operating, one that accentuates a second and perhaps
even more important role that bullet lube serves.

Back in the 50s and 60s, some
very knowledgeable Handloader's performed extensive
tests to understand what made the best bullet lube and
why. One of the more notable efforts in this area was
the work done by E. H. Harrison of the NRA Technical
Staff. These results were originally published in the
American Rifleman, and were subsequently reprinted in
"Cast Bullets" by E. H. Harrison, and available through
the NRA (buy this book if you don’t already have it!).
The most important property of the lube formulation was
found not to be the inherent lubricity of the mix, but
rather its flow properties (we will return to this
shortly). It is interesting to note that Mr. Harrison
was singing the praises of moly loaded bullet lubes back
in the 1950s. It seems "the wheel" has been
rediscovered…

Why are flow properties
important? Most barrel tolerances are generally good to
less than .001", where can the lube flow to? As
the bullet undergoes the violence of being engraved by
force, if there is any slippage or variation in
groove/land width, this will result in there being a gap
between the trailing edge of the land and the groove
engraved in the bullet’s face. Gas molecules are very,
very small things, and at the temperatures and pressures
of burning powder they‘re buzzing like an angry swarm of
hornets.

Even a gap between
the trailing edge of the land and the engraved groove of
the bullet of only .001" will leave enough room for over
50,000 of these gas molecules to line up "shoulder to
shoulder" and still not bump into the outer boundaries
of the gap.

The point of bringing all this up
is to show how easy gas leakage is through this sort of
defect channel, even though at first glance it appears
to be quite small. In addition, there are similar
(somewhat smaller) channels on the grooves and lands,
left over from the machining processes that gave rise to
the rifling, and these defects also contribute to
potential gas leakage. Gas pressure rises much faster
than the bullet is accelerated, so therefore as the
bullet’s surface is ravaged by the lands and gas leaks
past the base band, the lube reservoir becomes
pressurized, with the gases entering from the rear and
pushing forward. This rapid pressurization forces the
lube to flow into the defect channels in the engraved
driving band in front of the lube groove, sealing off
the gas flow and limiting the damage due to gas cutting.
If the cast bullet is appropriately sized, then this
controlled injection forms a floating pool of lubricant
that follows the bullet down the barrel, lubricating the
bullet/barrel interface and sealing the high-pressure
gases. Kind of a ballistic stop-leak, if you will.

This is why some of the new hard
lubes perform their best at higher pressures. Gas
leakage into the lube groove melts the lube, and the
liquid lube then gets forced into the microscopic defect
channels ahead of the groove. Some of the commercial
hard lubes work just fine at 800 fps and 1300 fps, but
at intermediate velocities or say 1000 fps, they lose
some of their shine. At the lower velocities/pressures
there are few demands placed on the lube, and these can
be addressed by simple frictional smearing of the lube
displaced from the lube groove by the land. As the
pressures/velocities rise into the intermediate range
(+P level, 20,000 psi, 1000 fps) however, the mechanisms
outlined above can’t pump the hard lube to the
bullet/barrel interface fast enough to keep up with the
lubrication/sealing demands of the system, resulting in
leading and poor accuracy. As pressures/velocities climb
into the magnum level (35,000 psi, 1300+ fps), enough
hot gases are injected into the lube groove to melt some
or all of the hard lube, allowing all of the lube
pumping mechanisms outlined above to come into play,
resulting in effective lubrication. These high-pressure
gases also cause the molten hard lube to be injected
into the defect channels in the forward driving bands,
thereby sealing off gas cutting. Lube pumping and
high-pressure injection cannot take place efficiently
until a hard lube melts. For a soft lube, it’s not
necessary to melt the lube for this injection to happen,
the soft lubes are capable of flowing from the start,
which is why they lubricate cast bullet revolver loads
effectively across the entire range of velocities from
600-1500 fps. The commercial hard lubes are well-suited
for magnum revolver and rifle cast bullet velocities.

Undersized cast bullets leave a
gap between the bullet and barrel, leaving them unable
to restrict this pressure-induced lube flow. As a
result, the lube very quickly gets blown out of the
barrel in front of bullet, leaving the bullet "naked",
un-lubricated and unprotected. This phenomenon is
especially problematic with the hard lubes; once molten,
the low viscosity liquid lube gets blown out rapidly if
the bullet is undersized.

Concerning the flow properties
vs. lubricity issues cited above, E. H. Harrison
explored the use of molybdenum disulfide (aka "moly") as
a bullet lube back in the 1950s. He found that dry moly
was inadequate as a bullet lubricant for .30-06 loads at
2000 fps, but that when it was incorporated into a more
traditional grease/wax lube formulation, that it worked
quite nicely indeed. By incorporating moly into a soft
lube, the desirable flow properties of the lube are
maintained, as is the ability to leave behind a moly
coating on the barrel. This moly coating serves to
protect the bore from oxidation, in addition to serving
as a lubricant, preventing adhesion of leading deposits.
More recently, a lot of work has been done looking at
hard-cast bullets dry coated with moly, and this has
been found to work nicely for routine handgun velocities
in the 800-1000 fps range. These observations reinforce
the conclusion that simple lubrication is sufficient at
lower velocities, but as pressures and velocities climb,
the role of bullet lube is also that of a fluid gasket
to seal the bullet/barrel interface.

In summary, bullet lube is pumped from the lube
groove to the barrel surface by compression, linear
acceleration and radial acceleration. In addition, lube
is injected forward during the firing process, as the
result of high-pressure gas leakage into the lube
groove. This injection process forms a floating fluid
gasket around the bullet, and serves to limit gas
cutting and is a kind of ballistic stop-leak. Hard lubes
must first melt before they can be pumped or injected by
any of these mechanisms. By incorporating moly into the
mix, the lube delivered to the barrel surface can serve
to prevent adhesion of future leading deposits by
passivating the steel surface. Glen E. Fryxell

Beeswax
is secreted by honeybees of a certain age in the form of thin
scales. The scales are produced by glands of 12 to 17 days old
worker bees on the ventral (stomach) surface of the abdomen. Worker
bees have eight wax-producing glands on the inner sides of the
sternites (the ventral shield or plate of each segment of the body).
Wax is produced from abdominal segments 4 to 7. The size of these
wax glands depends on the age of the worker.

Honeybees use the beeswax to build honey comb cells in which the
young are raised and honey and pollen are stored. For the wax-making
bees to secrete wax the ambient temperature in the hive has to be 33
to 36 °C (91 to 97 °F). Approximately eight pounds of honey is
consumed by bees to produce one pound of beeswax (8 kg/kg).
Estimates are that bees fly 150,000 miles to yield this one pound of
beeswax (530,000 km/kg). When beekeepers go to extract the honey,
they cut off the wax caps from each honeycomb cell. Its color varies
from yellowish-white to brownish depending on purity and the type of
flowers gathered by the bees. Wax from the brood comb of the
honeybee hive tends to be darker than wax from the honey comb.
Impurities accumulate more quickly in the brood comb. Due to the
impurities, the wax has to be rendered before further use. The
leftovers are called slumgum.

The wax
may be clarified by heating in water and may then be used as a
lubricant for bullets, drawers and windows, as a wood polish or in
candles etc. As with petroleum waxes it may be softened by dilution
with vegetable oil to make it more workable at room temperature.

Rendering Beeswax:

Cut the wax into chunks. Wrap in two
layers of cheesecloth and tie the cheesecloth securely. Fill a large
stainless-steel or tin-plated pot with water. (Other metals can
discolor the wax.) Put the wax in cheesecloth into the pot and weigh
it down with a brick or other heavy object. Bring the water to a
temperature of about 190 degrees F. Do not let it boil, as this will
damage the wax, causing it to be brittle. Simmer the wax until it is
all melted. As it melts, the wax will flow out of the cheesecloth,
leaving most of the debris behind. The wax will float on the top of
the water.

Remove the wax from the water and let
cool. If the wax still has a lot of debris in it, repeat this
process using four layers of cheesecloth. Some debris, called
slumgum, will remain on the bottom of the wax. Slice this off with a
hot knife.

The main
components of beeswax are palmitate, palmitoleate, hydroxypalmitate
and oleate esters of long-chain (30-32 carbons) aliphatic alcohols,
with the ratio of triacontanylpalmitate CH3(CH2)29O-CO-(CH2)14CH3
to cerotic acid CH3(CH2)24COOH, the
two principal components, being 6:1.

Beeswax has a high melting point range, of 62°C to
64°C (144°F to 147°F). It does not boil in air, but continues to
heat until it bursts into flame at around 120°C (250°F). If beeswax
is heated above 85 °C (185 °F) discoloration occurs.
Density at 15°C is 0.958 to 0.970 g/cm3.

Bees wax
can be classified generally into European and Oriental types. The
ratio of saponification (to
convert (a fat) into soap by treating with an alkali)
value is lower (3-5) for European beeswax, and higher (8-9) for
Oriental types.

Hydroxyoctacosanyl hydroxystearate can be used as a beeswax
substitute as a consistency regulator and emulsion stabilizer. Japan
wax is another substitute.

Grease
is a lubricant of higher initial viscosity than oil, consisting
originally of a calcium, sodium or lithium soap jelly emulsified
with mineral oil.

Properties:
Greases are a type of shear-thinning or pseudo-plastic fluid,
which means that the viscosity of the fluid is reduced under shear.
After sufficient force to shear the grease has been applied, the
viscosity drops and approaches that of the base mineral oil (or that
of the EP additive for EP greases under heavy load). This sudden
drop in shear force means that grease is considered a plastic fluid,
and the reduction of shear force with time makes it thixotropic. It
is often applied using a grease gun.

Uses:
Greases are employed where heavy pressures exist,
where oil drip from the bearings is undesirable, and/or where the
motions of the contacting surfaces are discontinuous so that it is
difficult to maintain a separating lubricant film in the bearing.
Grease-lubricated bearings have greater frictional characteristics
at the beginning of operation. Under shear, the viscosity drops to
give the effect of an oil-lubricated bearing of approximately the
same viscosity as the base oil used in the grease. Calcium- and
sodium-based greases are the most commonly used; sodium-based
greases have higher melting point than calcium-based greases but are
not resistant to the action of water. Lithium-based grease has a
drip temperature at 190 to 220 C (350° to 400°F) and it resists
moisture, hence it is commonly used as lubricant in household
products such as garage door openers.

Additives: Teflon
is added to some greases to improve their lubricating properties.
Gear greases consist of rosin oil, thickened with lime and mixed
with mineral oil, with some percentage of water. Special-purpose
greases contain glycerol and sorbitan esters. They are used, for
example, in low-temperature conditions. Some greases are labeled
"EP", which indicates "extreme pressure". Under high pressure or
shock loading, normal grease can be compressed to the extent that
the greased parts come into physical contact, causing friction and
wear. EP grease contains solid lubricants, usually graphite and/or
molybdenum, to provide protection under heavy loadings. The solid
lubricants bond to the surface of the metal, and prevent
metal-to-metal contact and the resulting friction and wear when the
lubricant film gets too thin.

Lithium-based grease,
often referred to simply as "lithium grease", is a lubricant grease
to which lithium compounds have been added, giving it higher
performance and temperature tolerance. Some formulations also
include PTFE (Teflon) and/or other substances, such as molybdenum
compounds.

Lithium
grease adheres well to metal, is non-corrosive, and may be used
under heavy loads. It has a drip temperature of 190° to 220°C (350°
to 400°F) and it resists moisture, so it is commonly used as
lubricant in household products, such as electric garage doors.

Numerous types of grease thickeners are currently in use, each with
its own pros and cons. The most common types are simple lithium
soaps, lithium complex and polyurea. Simple lithium soaps are often
used in low-cost general-purpose greases and perform relatively well
in most performance categories at moderate temperatures. Complex
greases such as lithium complex provide improved performance
particularly at higher operating temperatures. A common upper
operating temperature limit for a simple lithium grease might be
250°F, while that for a lithium complex grease might be 350°F.
Another thickener type that is becoming more popular is polyurea.
Like lithium complex, polyurea has good high-temperature performance
as well as high oxidation stability and bleed resistance. Thickener
type should be selected based on performance requirements as well as
compatibility when considering changing product types.

Grease Consistency and Thickener Type: The consistency of grease is controlled by the thickener
concentration, thickener type and the viscosity of the base oil.
Even though base oil viscosity affects consistency, it is important
to note that a grease can have a high consistency and a low base oil
viscosity or vice versa. The NLGI has established a scale to
indicate grease consistency which ranges from grades 000 (semifluid)
to 6 (block grease). The most common NLGI grade is two and is
recommended for most applications.

Molybdenum disulfide,
also called molybdenum sulfide or molybdenum(IV) sulfide,
with the formula MoS2, is a black crystalline
sulfide molybdenum It occurs as the mineral molybdenite. It is
insoluble in water and un-reactive toward dilute acids. Its melting
point is 1185 °C, but it starts oxidizing in air from 315 °C,
limiting the range of its use as a lubricant in the presence of air
between the temperatures of -185 and +350 °C; in non-oxidizing
environments it is stable up to 1100 °C

The
structure, appearance, and feel of molybdenum disulfide is similar
to graphite - a sandwich of layers of molybdenum atoms between the
layers of sulfur atoms. Due to the weak interactions between the
sheets of sulfide atoms, MoS2 has a lubricating effect.
Finely powdered MoS2 with particle sizes in the range of
1-100 µm is a common dry lubricant. It is also often mixed into
various oils and greases, which allows the mechanisms lubricated by
it to keep running for a while longer, even in cases of almost
complete oil loss - finding an important use in aircraft engines.

MoS2
grease is recommended for CV and universal joints.

It is
also used as a lubricating additive to special plastics, notably
nylon and Teflon.

During
the Vietnam war, molybdenum disulfide, known as "dry slide", was
used for lubricating troop's weapons; the military refused to supply
it, as it was "not in the manual", so it was sent to soldiers by
their parents and friends privately. Another application is for
coating bullets, giving them easier passage through the rifle barrel
with less deformation and better ballistic accuracy.

There is
a common misconception that
Carnauba wax and
Japan wax
are the same, they are not. Carnauba
wax
is derived from the leaves of a plant native to northeastern Brazil,
the carnauba palm (Copernicia prunifera). It is known as
"queen of waxes" and usually comes in the form of hard yellow-brown
flakes. It is obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm by
collecting them, beating them to loosen the wax, then refining and
bleaching the wax.

Carnauba
wax can produce a glossy finish and as such is used in automobile
waxes, shoe polishes and floor and furniture polishes, especially
mixed with beeswax. It is used as a coating on dental floss. Use for
paper coatings is the most common application in the United States.
It is the main ingredient in surfboard wax, combined with coconut
oil.

It is
the finish of choice for most briar pipes. It produces a high gloss
finish when buffed on to wood. This finish dulls with time rather
than flaking off (as is the case with most other finishes used.)

In
foods, it is used as a formulation aid, lubricant, release agent,
and surface finishing agent in baked foods and mixes, chewing gum,
confections, frostings, fresh fruits and juices, gravies, sauces,
processed fruits and juices and soft candy.

It is
also used in the pharmaceutical industry as a tablet coating agent.

Technical characteristics:

INCI
name is Copernicia Cerifera (carnauba) wax

E Number
is E903.

Melting
point: 78-85 °C, among the highest of natural waxes.

Relative
density is about 0.97

It is
among the hardest of natural waxes, being harder than concrete in
its pure form.

It is
practically insoluble in water, soluble on heating in ethyl acetate
and in xylene, practically insoluble in ethyl alcohol.

Sodium
stearate
is a chemical, the sodium salt of stearic acid and a major component
of soap. It has the chemical formula C17H35COONa.
Stearic Acid, also known as Stearin, increases the hardness and
opacity of wax. It's use in bullet lube is as a stiffener plus it
binds the ingredients together so they don't separate when cooling.
Typical usage is 1-3 TBS per pound (2-5% by weight). Sodium
Stearate can be ordered from candle & soap making suppliers. A
simple source is shaving off slivers from a bar of Ivory soap. (See
recipe for Felix lube below) Another good
source of Stearic acid
is tallow which contains roughly 14%.

Castor
oil
is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean (or preferably
castor seed as the castor plant, Ricinus communis, is not
a member of the bean family).

Castor
oil has an unusual composition and chemistry, which makes it quite
valuable. Ninety percent of fatty acids in castor oil are ricinoleic
acid. Ricinoleic acid, a monounsaturated, 18-carbon fatty acid, has
a hydroxyl functional group at the twelveth carbon, a very uncommon
property for a biological fatty acid. This functional group causes
ricinoleic acid (and castor oil) to be unusually polar, and also
allows chemical derivitization that is not practical with other
biological oils. Since it is a polar dielectric with a relatively
high dielectric constant (4.7), highly refined and dried Castor oil
is sometimes used as a dielectric fluid within high performance high
voltage capacitors.

Castor
oil maintains its fluidity at both extremely high and low
temperatures. Sebacic acid is chemically derived from castor oil.
Castor oil and its derivatives have applications in the
manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids,
paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold resistant plastics, waxes and
polishes, nylon, pharmaceuticals and perfumes. In internal
combustion engines, castor oil is renowned for its ability to
lubricate under extreme conditions and temperatures, such as in
air-cooled engines. The lubricants company Castrol takes its name
from castor oil. However, castor oil tends to form gums in a short
time, and its use is therefore restricted to engines that are
regularly rebuilt, such as motorcycle race engines. Most drug stores carry Castor oil.

The
poison ricin is made from the byproducts in the manufacture of
castor oil.

Lanolin
is "wool fat" or grease , chemically akin to wax. It is produced by
wool-bearing animals such as sheep, and is secreted by their
sebaceous glands. These glands are associated with hair follicles.
Lanolin acts as a waterproofing wax, and recent studies indicate
that antibiotics are also present in the lanolin. It aids sheep in
shedding water from their coats. Certain breeds of sheep produce
large amounts of lanolin, and the extraction can be performed by
squeezing the wool between rollers. Most or all the lanolin is
removed from wool when it is processed into textiles e.g. yarn or
felt.

Lanolin
is chiefly a mixture of cholesterol and the esters of several fatty
acids. Crude (non-medical) grades of lanolin also contain wool
alcohols, which are an allergen for some people. It is insoluble in
water, but forms an emulsion.

Lanolin
is used commercially in a great many products ranging from
rust-preventative coatings to cosmetics to lubricants. Some sailors
use lanolin to create a slippery surface on their propellers and
stern gear to which barnacles cannot adhere. Its water-repellent
properties make it valuable as a lubricant grease where corrosion
would otherwise be a problem, particularly on stainless steel, which
becomes vulnerable to corrosion when starved of oxygen.

Using
cosmetic products which contain too much lanolin can result in an
allergic reaction to the chemical in some people.

Medical
grade lanolin
is used as a cream to soothe skin. Lansinoh cream, a product that
some breastfeeding mothers use on sore and cracked nipples, is pure,
hypoallergenic, bacteriostatic medical grade lanolin. This grade of
lanolin can also be used to treat chapped lips, diaper rash, dry
skin, itchy skin, rough feet, minor cuts, minor burns and skin
abrasions. As an ointment basis, it readily absorbs through skin,
facilitating absorption of the medicinal chemicals it carries.
Lanolin is often used as a raw material for producing vitamin D3.

The name
Lanolin comes from a trademark that became known as the generic term
for a preparation of sheep fat and water. Jaffe v. Evans & Sons,
Ltd., Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York
(March 21, 1902).

Paraffin
is a common name for a group of alkane hydrocarbons discovered by Carl Reichenbach. In the U.S.A. the fuel known in
most of the world as paraffin oil (or just paraffin) is
called kerosene. The solid forms of paraffin are called paraffin
wax. Paraffin is also a technical name for an alkane in
general, but in most cases it refers specifically to a linear, or
normal alkane, while branched, or isoalkane are also
called isoparaffins. The name is derived from the Latin
parum (= barely) + affinis with the meaning here of
"lacking affinity", or "lacking reactivity").

Physical
and chemical properties:
It is mostly found as a white, odorless, tasteless, waxy solid, with
a typical melting point between about 47 °C and 65 °C. It is
insoluble in water, but soluble in ether, benzene, and certain
esters. Paraffin is unaffected by most common chemical reagents, but
burns readily. Pure
paraffin is an extremely good electrical insulator, with a
electrical resistivity of 10 ohm meter.
This is better than nearly all other materials except some plastics
(notably Teflon).

Mineral
oil
(baby oil)
or liquid petrolatum is a by-product in the distillation of
petroleum to produce gasoline. It is a chemically inert,
transparent, colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes and cyclic paraffins, related to white petrolatum. Mineral oil is a substance
of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large
quantities. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and
can often be found in drug stores.

There is
a common misconception that
Japan
wax and
Carnauba
wax are the same, they are not.
Japan
wax
is a pale-yellow, waxy, water-insoluble solid with a gummy feel,
obtained from the berries of certain sumacs native to Japan and
China, such as Rhus verniciflua (Japanese sumac tree) and Rhus
succedanea (Japanese wax tree).

Japan
wax is a byproduct of lacquer manufacture. It is not a true wax but
a fat that contains 10-15% palmitin, stearin, and olein with about
1% japanic acid. Japan wax is sold in flat squares or disks and has
a rancid odor. It is extracted by expression and heat, or by the
action of solvents.

Motor Mica:No info found other than as a brand name of “Scientific
Lubricants Company”, Carpentersville, Ill 60110 and sold as an
anti-friction and heat resisting, dry powder lube. Forster sells it
as a dry case neck lube. No melting point listed. Non-toxic. Recommended
use as additive: 2oz per pound of lubricant. No current info or web
site was found for Scientific Lubricants Company,
Carpentersville, Ill.

The mica
group of sheet silicate (phyllosilicate) minerals includes several
closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All
are monoclinic with a tendency towards pseudo-hexagonal crystals and
are similar in chemical composition. The highly perfect cleavage,
which is the most prominent characteristic of mica, is explained by
the hexagonal sheet-like arrangement of its atoms.

Canola
was developed through conventional plant breeding from rapeseed, an
oilseed plant with roots in ancient civilization. The word "rape" in
rapeseed comes from the Latin word "rapum," meaning turnip.
Turnip, rutabaga, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard and many other
vegetables are related to the two canola species commonly grown:
Brassica napus and Brassica rapa.

Its use
was limited until the development of steam power, when machinists
found rapeseed oil clung to water and steam-washed metal surfaces
better than other lubricants. World War II saw high demand for the
oil as a lubricant for the rapidly increasing number of steam
engines in naval and merchant ships.
Canola oil is a promising source for manufacturing
biodiesel, a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. Compared with
sunflower, corn, peanut, and many other oils, Canola has a low ratio
of saturated to unsaturated fat. dubbed Canola, from Canadian
Oil Low Acid.

Olive
oil
is a vegetable oil obtained from the olive (Olea europaea
L.), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is used
in cooking, cosmetics, soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil
lamps. Olive oil is regarded as a healthful dietary oil because of
its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid) and
polyphenols.

The
International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) sets standards of quality
used by the major olive oil producing countries. It officially
governs 95 percent of international production, and holds great
influence over the rest. IOOC terminology is precise, but it can
lead to confusion between the words that describe production and the
words used on retail labels. Olive oil is classified by how it was
produced, by its chemistry, and by its flavor. All production begins
by transforming the olive fruit into olive paste. This paste is then
malaxed to allow the microscopic oil droplets to concentrate. The
oil is extracted by means of pressure (traditional method) or
centrifugation (modern method). After extraction the remnant solid
substance, called pomace, still contains a small quantity of
oil.

Industrial grades: The several oils
extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:

Virgin means the oil was
produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment. The
term virgin oil referring to production is different from
Virgin Oil on a retail label.

Quantitative analytical methods determine the oil's
acidity, defined as the percent, measured by weight, of free oleic
acid in it. This is a measure of the oil's chemical degradation — as
the oil degrades, more fatty acids get free from the glycerides,
increasing the level of free acidity. Another measure of the oil's
chemical degradation is the peroxide level, which measures the
degree to which the oil is oxidized (rancid).

To use
olive oil as an alloy flux place sawdust in a plastic sandwich bag
and shake the bag until mixed, use only enough olive oil to dampen
the sawdust. Use caution and use only
outdoors, this mix is highly flammable but it is a very good
flux.
Many, including myself, dispute that olive oil in sawdust is an
improved flux over sawdust alone. Sawdust as a flux is highly
effective.

Extra-virgin olive oil
comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than
0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be
no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.

Virgin
olive oil
with an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There
can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.

Olive
oil
is a blend of virgin oil and refined virgin oil, containing at most
1% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.

Olive-pomace
oil
is a blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil.
It is fit for consumption, but it may not be called olive oil.
Olive-pomace oil is rarely found in a grocery store; it is often
used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.

Lampante
oil
is olive oil not used for consumption; lampante comes from
olive oil's ancient use as fuel in oil-burning lamps. Lampante oil
is mostly used in the industrial market.

Teflon:Due to
its low friction, it is used for applications where sliding action
of parts is needed: bearings, bushings, gears, slide plates, etc. In
these applications it performs significantly better than nylon and
acetal; it is comparable with ultra high molecular weight
polyethylene (UHMWPE), although UHMWPE is more resistant to wear
than Teflon. For these applications, versions of teflon with mineral
oil or molybdenum disulfide embedded as additional lubricants in its
matrix are being manufactured.

Polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE) is a fluoropolymer discovered by Roy J. Plunkett
(1910–1994) of DuPont in 1938. It was introduced as a commercial
product in 1946 and is generally known to the public by DuPont's
brand name Teflon.

PTFE has
the lowest coefficient of friction (against polished steel) of any
known solid material. It is used as a non-stick coating for pans and
other cookware. PTFE is very non-reactive, and so is often used in
containers and pipework for reactive chemicals. According to DuPont
its melting point is 327 °C, but its properties degrade above 260
°C.

Other
polymers with similar composition are known with the Teflon
name: fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) and perfluoroalkoxy
polymer resin (PFA). They retain the useful properties of PTFE of
low friction and non-reactivity, but are more easily formable. FEP
is softer than PTFE and melts at 260 °C; it is highly transparent
and resistant to sunlight.

PTFE is
sometimes said to be a spin-off from the U.S. space program with
more down-to-earth applications; this is an urban legend, as Teflon
cooking pans were commonplace before Yuri Gagarin's flight in 1961.
PTFE was discovered serendipitously by Roy Plunkett of DuPont in
1938, while attempting to make a new CFC refrigerant, when the
perfluorethylene polymerized in its storage container. DuPont
patented it in 1941, and registered the Teflon trademark in 1944.

An early
advanced use was in the Manhattan Project, as a material to coat
valves and seals in the pipes holding highly-reactive uranium
hexafluoride in the vast uranium enrichment plant at Oak Ridge,
Tennessee, when it was known as K416.

It was
first sold commercially in 1946 and by 1950, DuPont was producing
over a million pounds (450 t) per year in Parkersburg, West
Virginia. In 1954, French engineer Marc Grégoire created the first
Teflon-coated cooking pan.

Teflon
has been supplemented with another DuPont product, Silverstone, a
three-coat fluoropolymer system that produces a more durable finish
than Teflon. Silverstone was released in 1976.

Amongst
many other industrial applications, PTFE is used to coat certain
types of hardened, armour-piercing bullets in the military and in
civilian use to reduce the
amount of wear on the firearm's rifling in expensive match grade
barrels. These are often mistakenly
referred to as "cop-killer" bullets on account of PTFE's supposed
ability to ease
a bullet's passage through
body armour. Any armour-piercing effect is, however, purely a
function of the bullet's velocity, rigidity, nose shape and weight rather than any
property of PTFE. Teflon coated bullets as a "cop killer" round is a
100% media generated myth.

Properties and applications:

PTFE has
excellent dielectric properties. This is especially true at high
radio frequencies, making it eminently suitable for use as an
insulator in cables and connector assemblies and as a material for
printed circuit boards used at microwave frequencies. Combined with
its high melting temperature, this makes it the material of choice
as a high performance substitute for the weaker and more meltable
polyethylene that is commonly used in low-cost applications. Its
extremely high bulk resistivity makes it an ideal material for
fabricating long life electrets, useful devices that are the
electrostatic analogues of magnets.

Due to
its low friction, it is used for applications where sliding action
of parts is needed: bearings, bushings, gears, slide plates, etc. In
these applications it performs significantly better than nylon and
acetal; it is comparable with ultra high molecular weight
polyethylene (UHMWPE), although UHMWPE is more resistant to wear
than Teflon. For these applications, versions of teflon with mineral
oil or molybdenum disulfide embedded as additional lubricants in its
matrix are being manufactured.

Because
of its chemical inertness, PTFE cannot be cross-linked like an
elastomer. Therefore it has no "memory", and is subject to creep
(also known as cold flow and compression set). This
can be both good and bad. A little bit of creep allows PTFE seals to
conform to mating surfaces better than most other plastic seals. Too
much creep, however, and the seal is compromised. Compounding
fillers are used to control unwanted creep, as well as to improve
wear, friction, and other properties.

Gore-Tex
is a material incorporating teflon membrane with micropores. The
roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis is the
largest application of Teflon on Earth, using 20 acres of the
material in a double-layered white dome, made with PTFE-coated
fiberglass that gives the stadium its distinctive appearance.

Powdered
PTFE is used in pyrotechnic compositions as oxidizer together with
powdered metals such as aluminum and magnesium. Upon ignition these
mixtures form carbonaceous soot and the corresponding metal fluoride
and release large amounts of heat. Hence they are use as infrared
decoy flares and igniters for solid fuel rocket propellants.

Tallow
is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is
solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for
extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent
decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to
prevent oxidation.

Rendered
fat obtained from pigs is known as lard.

Industrially, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat.
In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain
technical criteria, including its melting point, which is also known
as titre. It is common for commercial tallow to contain fat derived
from other animals, such as pigs or even from plant sources.

Tallow is
used in animal feed, to make soap, for cooking, and as a bird food.
It can be used as a raw material for the production of biodiesel and
other oleochemicals. Historically, it was used to make tallow
candles, which were a cheaper alternative to wax candles.

Tallow is
used in the steel rolling industry to provide the required
lubrication as the sheet steel is compressed through the steel
rollers. There is a trend towards replacing tallow based lubrication
with synthetic oils in rolling applications for surface cleanliness
reasons.

The use
of tallow or lard to lubricate rifles was the spark that started the
Indian Rebellion of 1857. To load the new Pattern 1853 Enfield
Rifle, the sepoys had to bite the cartridge open. It was believed
that the paper cartridges that were standard issue with the rifle
were greased with lard (pork fat) which was regarded as unclean by
Muslims, or tallow (beef fat), regarded as sacred to Hindus.

Tallow,
along with beeswax, was also used in the creation of lubricant for
American Civil War ammunition used in the Springfield Rifle Musket.

Vaseline® (petroleum jelly)
is a mixture of mineral oils, paraffin and microcrystalline waxes.

Petroleum
jelly is a flammable, semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons, having a
melting-point usually ranging from a little below to a few degrees
above 167°F (75°C). It is colorless, or of a pale yellow color (when
not highly distilled), translucent, and devoid of taste and smell
when pure. It does not oxidize on exposure to the air, and is not
readily acted on by chemical reagents. It is insoluble in water.
There is a common misconception (resulting from the similar feel
they produce when applied to human skin) that petroleum jelly and
glycerol (glycerine) are physically similar. While petroleum jelly
is a non-polar hydrocarbon hydrophobic (water-repelling) and
insoluble in water, glycerol (not a hydrocarbon but an alcohol) is
the opposite: it is so strongly hydrophilic
(water-attracting) that by continuous absorption of moisture from
the air, it produces the feeling of wetness on the skin.

Crisco is
a brand of shortening, it was first produced in 1911 by Procter &
Gamble and was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable
oil.

Chemist
Edwin C. Kayser (Procter & Gamble) developed the process to
hydrogenate cottonseed oil, which ensures the shortening remains
solid at normal storage temperatures. The initial purpose was to
create a cheaper substance to make candles than the expensive animal
fats in use at the time.

In April
2004, Crisco Zero Grams Trans Fat was introduced which contained
fully hydrogenated palm oil blended with liquid vegetable oils to
yield a shortening much like the original Crisco. As of
January 24,
2007, all Crisco shortening products have been reformulated.
The separately marketed trans-fat free version introduced in 2004
was discontinued. Crisco now consists of a blend of soybean oil,
fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and partially hydrogenated
soybean and cottonseed oils.

Historical battle re-enactors sometimes use Crisco as a lubricating
agent for musket balls, to retard the effects of black powder
residue.

Cosmoline
is the trade name for a generic class of rust preventatives,
conforming to MIL-C-11796C Class 3, that are a brown colored
wax-like mass; have a slight fluorescence; and have a petroleum-like
odor and taste.

Chemically, Cosmoline is a homogeneous mixture of oily and waxy
long-chain, non-polar hydrocarbons. It is always brown in color, and
can differ in viscosity and shear strength. Cosmoline melts at
130-150 °F (45–52 °C) and has a flashpoint of 365 °F (185 °C).

Its most
common use is in the storage and preservation of firearms.
Previously, Cosmoline was used to preserve other items. Objects the
size of entire vehicles could be preserved for future use with
Cosmoline.

Due to
its gelatinous nature, Cosmoline can be difficult to remove
completely from firearms.

Soy wax
is a partially-hydrogenated form of soybean oil. It is typically
softer than paraffin wax and with a lower melting temperature, in
most combinations. However, other additives by producers can raise
this melt point. Soy wax is available in flake and pellet form and
has an off-white, opaque appearance. Its lower melting temperature
can mean hot weather can deform candles.

Some soy candles are made up of a
blend of different waxes, including beeswax, paraffin, or palm wax.

Standard labeling of soy candles is
not enforced, therefore any claims to benefits to this candle are
not regulated. Using soy wax is a choice as there are studies that
claim to its medical preference over other waxes with heavy use of
candles.

Bayberry
wax is an aromatic green vegetable wax. It is removed from the
surface of the fruit of the bayberry (wax-myrtle) shrub Myrica
faya by boiling the fruits in water and skimming the wax from
the surface of the water. It is made up primarily of esters of
lauric, myristic, and palmitic acid. Melting point = 45 °C

Bayberry wax is used primarily in the
manufacture of candles and other products where the distinctive
fragrance is desirable.

Still
searching for valid, useful information on Alox. The original Alox
company of Niagara Falls, NY made the original Alox 2138F used by
Col. E. H.
Harrison of the NRA Technical staff to develop the NRA formula of
Alox lube. 2138F was
dropped from the company's product list when the company was sold. I
have read many times that the Lubrizol company is the current
producer of Alox but their web site lists nothing of any Alox
products. There is an Alox Corporation in Brazil that lists several
Alox products but not 2138F and not the stated replacement product
Alox 350.
Col. Harrison's writing indicates he tested 350 and discontinued
it's use because of to low a melting point for bullet lube.

The
commercial bullet lube maker Javelina still lists the original NRA
formula of 50/50 yellow beeswax and Alox 2138F as available. This is
a bit puzzling considering it's nearly 50 years since 2138F has been
manufactured. Lee markets "Lee Liquid Alox (LLA)" as a liquid lube
for their tumble lube bullets but which Alox or it's source is
unknown.

An oil
conditioning additive, STP is a brand name and trade name for the
automotive additives and performance division of the Clorox
Corporation.

Founded in 1953
in Saint Joseph, Missouri, the company’s name, STP, was
derived from “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”. The company entered
into the marketplace with one product, STP Oil Treatment.

In 1961 the company was acquired by
the Studebaker-Packard Corporation. Studebaker briefly tied STP into
its advertising as an abbreviation for “Studebaker Tested Products”.

In 1976
STP faced a consumer protection order that required it to have
scientific backing for certain statements and prohibited making
false claims. In 1978 it paid a $500,000 civil penalty over claims,
and in 1995 it paid $888,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission
charges of false advertising.

Aside from the charges of false
advertising one of the "claims" made by STP is that it leaves a
"thicker" film of oil between moving metal parts, if true this
"could" make it useful in bullet lube formulas in helping to seal
bore imperfections and reduce gas blow by.

The
peanut, or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), is a species in the
legume family (Fabaceae) native to South America, Mexico and Central
America. Peanut oil (arachis oil) is an organic material oil
derived from peanuts, noted to have the slight aroma and taste of
its parent legume. Its major component fatty acids are oleic acid
(56.6%) and linoleic acid (26.7%). The oil also contains some
palmitic acid, arachidic acid, arachidonic acid, behenic acid,
lignoceric acid and other fatty acids. Peanut oil could be used as a
source of fuel for the diesel engine. It is also used as the main
ingredient in some ear-wax removing products.

Peanut
oil is appreciated for its high smoke point relative to many other
cooking oils.

Peanuts
are known by many local names, including earthnuts, ground nuts,
goober peas and monkey nuts; the last of these is often used to mean
the entire pod.

Steam oil
is often referred to as cylinder oil and compounded steam cylinder
oil as its primary use is to lubricate the valves and cylinders of
steam engines. Steam cylinder oil provides a lubricating film to
the engine steam admission valves (D-shaped valves in a Stanley
engine) and the pistons within the cylinder walls. Both the valves
and the pistons are metal to metal sliding interfaces. Steam oil
must possess unique characteristics to allow it to mix with
superheated steam, saturated steam, and hot water (condensate).
Steam oils are manufactured primarily from mineral oils and are of
viscosities equal to or greater than 600-weight oils.

Heating
raw petroleum collected from oil wells and drawing off the vaporized
gasses at different temperatures provides various products such as
gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuels as well as lubricating oils
also known as mineral oils. Water will displace most oils, with the
exception of animal based oils, and consequently special compounded
oils that will lubricate in the presence of water are needed for
successful steam engine operation. Modern steam oils contain 4%
tallow by volume that comes from animals. Animal oil based tallow is
produced by heating or boiling animal carcasses, and collecting the
liquid residue. It is this tallow oil that makes steam oil work in
the hostile internal environment of the steam engine. In practice
the petroleum producers place several compounds in steam oil to help
stabilize viscosity and lubricity; hence the name compounded steam
oil. Steam oils are manufactured in several blends depending on the
temperature of the steam they are to be used with.

Jojoba
oil (pronounced "ho-HO-bah") is the liquid wax produced in the seed
of the jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) plant, a shrub native to
southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico. The
oil makes up approximately 50% of the jojoba seed by weight.

Unrefined
jojoba oil appears as a clear golden liquid at room temperature with
a slightly fatty odor. Refined jojoba oil is colorless and odorless.
The melting point of jojoba oil is approximately 10°C and the iodine
value is approximately 80. Jojoba oil is relatively shelf-stable
when compared with other vegetable oils. It has an Oxidative
Stability Index of approximately 60, which means that it is more
shelf-stable than oils of safflower oil, canola oil, almond oil or
squalene but less than castor oil, macadamia oil and coconut oil.

Most
jojoba oil is consumed as an ingredient in cosmetics and personal
care products. Jojoba oil is also used as a replacement for whale
oil and its derivatives, such as cetyl alcohol. The ban on importing
whale oil to the US in 1971 led to the discovery that it is "in many
regards superior to sperm oil for applications in the cosmetics and
other industries." Jojoba biodiesel has been explored as a cheap,
sustainable fuel that can serve as a substitute for petroleum
diesel.

Used as a finished wood wax, also on
bare metal to retard rust. Used in bullet lube blended with various
lube ingredients and alone as lube. There are several good
discussions on Johnsons Paste
Wax as bullet lube at "CastBoolits.com",
use the search function and type in Johnsons Paste
Wax.

Ballistol
(meaning 'Ballistic Oil') is a mineral oil-based chemical which
advertises that it has many uses. It was originally intended for
cleaning, lubricating, and protecting firearms. The product
originated from Germany before World War II, after the military
requested an 'all-around' oil and cleaner for their rifles and
equipment.

The chemical is a
yellowish clear liquid with a consistency expected of a light oil.
However, when it comes in contact with water it emulsifies, becoming
a thick creamy white substance. It has a sweet and mildly pungent
smell similar to black licorice. It is distributed in liquid and
aerosol forms. The aerosol uses butane or propane as a propellant.

One of its selling points is that
it is not petro-chemical based, and uses biodegradable ingredients.
It also advertises it has no carcinogens. Some other similar
chemicals contain petro-chemicals which can damage the 'seasoning'
developed on the bore of a black-powder gun.

Solid
lubricants. Several kinds of solid materials are used for
lubricating purposes, such as graphite, talc, soapstone, mica,
flowers of sulphur,
white lead. Some of these solid lubricants, such as flake graphite
or mica, possess a tough, flaky, foliated structure which enables
them
to resist pressure without disintegration. Others, such as amorphous
graphite or flowers of sulphur, are easily crushed into a fine
powder when exposed to pressure.

Graphite
is the most important of all solid lubricants. It is not altered in
constitution by temperature and is remarkably resistant to the
action of acids. It is not attacked by alkalis. The greater part of
the world's supplies of natural graphite come from Austria, Ceylon,
Italy, Bavaria, Madagascar, the United States, Canada, Mexico,
Japan, Siberia and England. Natural graphite, as it is obtained from
the graphite mines, contains some impurities, chiefly silica,
alumina and ferric oxides.

Flake
graphite may either be used dry, or in admixture with semi-solid
lubricants. It cannot be used mixed with oil in ordinary lubricators
or lubricating systems, because of its high specific gravity, which
causes it to separate out and choke lubricators, oil pipes and oil
grooves.

Artificial Graphite. Amorphous graphite is produced artificially by
Dr, Acheson in the electrical furnace. He is able by his process to
produce graphite of a soft unctuous non-coalescing nature and almost
chemically pure.

The
varieties produced for lubricating purposes are guaranteed to
contain 99 per cent, of pure carbon, but usually contain more. In
one variety of graphite, No. 1340, 98 per cent, of the graphite
particles are less than 3^ in. in diameter. From this or similar
graphite Dr. Acheson produces what he
calls deflocculated graphite by kneading it for a long time with
water in the presence of a vegetable extract, such as tannic acid;
the graphite particles in this process disintegrate into particles
one thousand times less in diameter, in fact, Dr. Acheson estimates
that each particle of the "1340" graphite becomes divided into
700,000 particles, a smallness of size bordering on the molecular,
and the graphite becomes diffused in the water in colloidal form.

Fat from
warm-blooded animals normally has a high melting point, becoming
hard when cool – but neatsfoot oil remains liquid at room
temperature. This is because the relatively slender legs and feet of
animals such as cattle are adapted to tolerate and maintain much
lower temperatures than those of the body core, using counter current
heat exchange in the legs between warm arterial and cooler venous
blood – other body fat would become stiff at these temperatures.
This characteristic of neatsfoot oil allows it to soak easily into
leather.

Modern neatsfoot oil
is sometimes made from lard. It is sold as neatsfoot oil in pure
form. If mineral oil or other petroleum-based material is added, the
product may be called "neatsfoot oil compound". Some brands have
also been shown to be adulterated with rapeseed oil, soya oil, and
other oils. The addition of mineral oils may lead to more rapid
decay of non-synthetic stitching or speed breakdown of the leather
itself

Neatsfoot
oil is used on a number of leather products, although it has been
replaced by synthetic products for certain applications. Items such
as baseball gloves, saddles, horse harnesses and other horse tack
can be softened and conditioned with neatsfoot oil.

If used on important historical
objects, neatsfoot oil (like other leather dressings) can oxidize
with time and actually contribute to embrittling. It also may leave
an oily residue that can attract dust. On newer leather, it may
cause darkening (even after a single application), and thus may not
be a desirable product to use when the maintenance of a lighter
shade is desired. Neatsfoot oil is more useful for routine use on
working equipment.

Murphy
Oil Soap is a cleaning product marketed by Colgate-Palmolive. It is
available in a thick liquid form, as well as a trigger spray bottle.
Commercials for the product lead that the product is ideal for
cleaning wooden surfaces.

Lard
is pig fat in both its rendered and un-rendered forms. Lard can
be obtained from any part of the pig as long as there is a high
concentration of fatty tissue. The highest grade of lard, known as
leaf lard, is obtained from the "flare" visceral fat deposit
surrounding the kidneys and inside the loin. The next highest grade
of lard is obtained from fatback, the hard subcutaneous fat between
the back skin and muscle of the pig. The lowest grade (for purposes
of rendering into lard) is obtained from the soft caul fat
surrounding digestive organs, such as small intestines. Lard is one
of the few edible oils with a relatively high smoke point, pure lard
is especially useful for cooking since it produces little smoke when
heated.

Bullplate
is a product sold by the Bull Shop in Alaska as a mould and sprue
plate lubricant and is the key ingredient in Speed Green bullet
lube. Bullplate and Speed Green are spoken very highly of by
experienced bullet casters and can be ordered online @
http://bullshop.gunloads.com/

The
mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. Unlike diamond
(another carbon allotrope), graphite is an electrical conductor, a
semimetal, and can be used, for instance, in the electrodes of an
arc lamp. Graphite holds the distinction of being the most stable
form of carbon under standard conditions. Therefore, it is used in
thermochemistry as the standard state for defining the heat of
formation of carbon compounds. Graphite may be considered the
highest grade of coal.

There are
three principal types of natural graphite, each occurring in
different types of ore deposit:

1> Crystalline flake graphite (or flake
graphite for short) occurs as isolated, flat, plate-like particles
with hexagonal edges if unbroken and when broken the edges can be
irregular or angular;

2> Amorphous graphite occurs as fine
particles and is the result of thermal metamorphism of coal, the
last stage of coalification, and is sometimes called
meta-anthracite. Very fine flake graphite is sometimes called
amorphous in the trade;

3> Lump graphite (also called vein
graphite) occurs in fissure veins or fractures and appears as
massive platy intergrowths of fibrous or acicular crystalline
aggregates, and is probably hydrothermal in origin.

Graphite
and graphite powder are valued in industrial applications for its
self-lubricating and dry lubricating properties. Natural graphite is
mostly consumed for refractories, steelmaking, expanded graphite,
brake linings, and foundry facings-lubricants. Pencils use graphite,
not lead.

Microcrystalline waxes are a type of wax produced by de-oiling
petrolatum, as part of the petroleum refining process. In contrast
to the more familiar paraffin wax which contains mostly unbranched
alkanes, microcrystalline wax contains a higher percentage of
isoparaffinic (branched) hydrocarbons and naphthenic hydrocarbons.
It is characterized by the fineness of its crystals in contrast to
the larger crystal of paraffin wax. It consists of high molecular
weight saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. It is generally darker,
more viscous, denser, tackier and more elastic than paraffin waxes,
and has a higher molecular weight and melting point. The elastic and
adhesive characteristics of microcrystalline waxes are related to
the non-straight chain components which they contain. Typical
microcrystalline wax crystal structure is small and thin, making
them more flexible than paraffin wax. It is commonly used in
cosmetic formulations.

Microcrystalline waxes when produced by wax refiners are typically
produced to meet a number of ASTM specifications. These include
congeal point (ASTM D938), needle penetration (D1321), color (ASTM
D6045), and viscosity (ASTM D445). Microcrystalline waxes can
generally be put into two categories: "laminating" grades and
"hardening" grades. The laminating grades typically have a melt
point of 140-175 F and needle penetration of 25 or above. The
hardening grades will range from about 175-200 F, and have a needle
penetration of 25 or below. Color in both grades can range from
brown to white, depending on the degree of processing done at the
refinery level.

Microcrystalline waxes are derived
from the refining of the heavy distillates from lubricant oil
production. This by product then must be de-oiled at a wax refinery.
Depending on the end use and desired specification, the product then
may have its odor removed and color removed (which typically starts
as a brown or dark yellow). This is usually done by means of a
filtration method or by hydro-treating the wax material.

Microcrystalline wax is often used in industries such as the tire
and rubber, candles, adhesives, corrugated board, cosmetics,
castings, and a host of others. Refineries may also utlize blending
facilities to combine paraffin and microcrystalline waxes. This type
of activity is prevalent especially for industries such as tire and
rubber.

Microcrystalline
waxes are excellent materials to use when modifying the crystalline
properties of paraffin wax. The microcrystalline wax has a
significant effect on the branching of the carbon chains that are
the backbone of paraffin wax. This is useful when some desired
functional changes in the paraffin are needed, such as flexibility,
higher melt point, and increased opacity.

Your now
ready to put on your wizard's hat and start your quest for the
perfect bullet lube. This section gives several lube recipes that
others have "cooked up", many of them are very effective. Use these
recipes or the above ingredients to test your own ideas.

Col. E. H. Harrison of the NRA Technical staff after conducting
extensive lube tests wrote, It's very easy to create a lube that
prevents leading but lube effects accuracy. The final test of
evaluating a lube has to be by shooting and evaluating groups.
My own lube experiments confirm this. I made up over a dozen
different lubes and fired groups at 150 meters. I used my 308
Winchester with a known load that uses LBT blue lube as a standard
to compare to. None of the lubes tested caused any leading in this
rifle but accuracy was effected with each of them.

You can equal or surpass Veral's lube (LBT Blue) with
beeswax, anhydrous lanolin, mineral
oil, sodium stearate, castor oil, and paraffin. On the stove
using a shallow pot, heat two tablespoons of baby oil (mineral oil).
When starting to smoke, add a tablespoon of castor oil and raise to
just below smoking (about 300 degrees) and continually stir for
around an half hour. After the time is up, add slivers of Ivory soap
(sodium stearate), making the slivers melt entirely by stirring one
parcel before adding more. Use a razor blade to make the slivers,
and saturate the mixture with the soap, but no more than a
tablespoon's worth. Then add one tablespoon of lanolin. After
mixing, add beeswax to make the final mixture per requirement. Add
paraffin to the batch to make it a harder pan lube when beeswax is
scarce. A special ingredient which impresses friends is Carnauba
wax. It's not required to do the job, but it keeps your barrel
mirror bright after each shot. Now here comes a little more info: beeswax is the base, castor oil is the
real lube, lanolin makes the lube sticky, stearate glues the mess
together so it does not separate into components upon cooling,
carnauba wax adds the shine, and paraffin is the ultimate hardener,
to be used as a last resort... add more castor oil or lanolin to
make the lube slicker for smaller bores and/or a winter lube . . .
Always slick the barrel down with Hoppy's or other oily cleaner and
then dry patch it with only one push-thru stroke before shooting...
felix

By
weight: 50/50 pure yellow beeswax and Alox 2138F, developed by
Col. E. H. Harrison and printed in "The Rifleman", reprinted in The
NRA Cast Bullet book (currently out of print). Alox 2138F is no
longer made but there are substitute Alox formulas being used.

NOTE: It is often stated the original
NRA Alox formula contained paraffin and/or other ingredients, this
is false. In
Col. E. H. Harrison own words and printed in The NRA Cast Bullet
book . . . quote: The composition of one
part Alox 2138F and one part pure yellow beeswax means that, not
something else. End quote.

Col. Harrison did extensive lube testing in the 50's and 60's and
came to the conclusion that making a lube that prevents or minimizes
leading was fairly easy, making a lube that permits best possible
accuracy is another matter. Col. Harrison based his conclusions
about bullet lube on extensive and repeatable group testing and
settled on the NRA formula of
50/50 pure yellow beeswax and Alox 2138F.

Since
Col.
Harrison's testing in the 50's and 60's numerous other ingredients
and recipes have been tested and many recipes are highly successful.
Lubes such as LBT Blue, Felix Lube, LARS and many others come to
mind suggesting that while Col. Harrison's testing and conclusions
are certainly valid it isn't the final word, the possibilities of
even better lubes are endless.

By weight 3 parts yellow bees wax (the raw unrefined wax is
best because it contains the natural glue's, if it doesn't smell
like honey its not right) to 1 part Bull Plate. That's it simple
huh?

A couple of cautions, use a double boiler so you don't scorch the
wax, over heating the wax to
the point of scorching degrades the quality of the wax. Don't use paraffin, it lowers the flash point and causes more
fouling.

If you want a less sticky/tacky lube add 1/2 ounce carnauba wax per
1 lb Speed Green, pre melt the carnauba before adding.

If you will be casting sticks I have found the basic 3/1 formula
does not release easily from my molds. The cure for this is to add
1/2 ounce Alox per 1 lb lube. I use the original Alox from the Alox
corp. in Niagara Falls, NY but they no longer exist. I still have a
good supply. I have tried the Lee liquid version just to see and it
also worked. If you are just melting and pouring into your sizer you
wont need to bother with the Alox.

Bullplate
is also used as a sprue plate lube and is available from
http://bullshop.gunloads.com/ If you would prefer to buy your
lube rather than making it yourself Speed Green can be purchased
pre-made from Bullshop.

Emmert's
Lube with lanolin:I've had
better luck with my Emmert's with lanolin than I have with SPG.
Emmert's is, as I understand it an old Schuetzen lube, and it's
simple and easy to make - always a plus. From
Bill, (Hip's Ax on Castboolits forum)

To that I've added about 6-7% anhydrous lanolin. The lanolin is a
good high temp, high pressure lube and it's sticky. It helps the
lube stick to the bullets, and helps make it better for pan lubing.
Sure has seemed to keep the fouling softer than the SPG.
I shoot it in a Saeco #745 bullet, and that bullet is oft criticized
for barely carrying enough lube but it works in my 30" barrel.

Flux is
a scientific term describing the rate of flow of something through a
surface, it has several more specialized uses in English:Flux
(metallurgy) is a material that aids in both smelting and soldering by
assisting the flow of the molten metal.
In metallurgy, a flux is a chemical cleaning agent which facilitates
soldering, brazing, and welding by removing oxidation from the
metals to be joined. Common fluxes are: ammonium chloride or rosin
for soldering tin; hydrochloric acid and zinc chloride for soldering
galvanized iron (and other zinc surfaces); and borax for brazing or
braze-welding ferrous metals. Different fluxes, mostly based on
sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and a fluoride such as sodium
fluoride, are used in foundries for removing impurities from molten
nonferrous metals such as aluminum, or for adding desirable trace
elements such as titanium.

In
high-temperature metal joining processes (welding, brazing and
soldering), the primary purpose of flux is to prevent oxidation
of the base and filler materials. Tin-lead solder attaches very well
to copper, but poorly to the various oxides of copper, which form
quickly at soldering temperatures. Flux is a substance which is
nearly inert at room temperature, but which becomes strongly
reducing at elevated temperatures, preventing the formation of metal
oxides. Additionally, flux allows solder to flow easily on the
working piece rather than forming beads as it would otherwise.
Flux
comes from Latin and means flow.

A related use of the term flux is to
designate the material added to the contents of a smelting
furnace for the purpose of purging the metal of impurities and
oxides and
of rendering the slag more liquid. The slag is a liquid mixture of
ash, flux, oxides and other impurities. Keep in mind when fluxing your
alloy that reduction is the opposite of oxidation, a good flux will
reduce alloy components such as tin back into the melt while
oxidized impurities such as dirt, aluminum, zinc or other impurities
will be skimmed off the surface with the flux.

A good
bullet lube will act the opposite of flux and prevent rather than aiding lead "soldering"
to the bore. "Flux in solder enables the joining of parts or
soldering", bullet
lube "prevents" lead from sticking (soldering) to the bore.
When soldering, rosin is commonly used as flux to remove oxidation
of the metals when heated and allow the joining of the parts (the
flow of liquid solder) yet
both tallow and olive oil (and many others) can successfully be substituted for rosin
when soldering
and both of these are successfully used in bullet lubes.

So how
can the same material be both flux and bullet lube anti-flux? I suspect that
temperature is the key, in soldering the solder, flux and material
to be joined are all heated
above the
melting temp of solder (365+ degrees) and the melted flux removes
oxidation from the metal surfaces allowing the solder to flow. Your bullet alloy melting temp is far
above this and even though some of the lube may melt, the bullet
does not.